These fritters take me right back to childhood summers, to the carnival that came to town every year where I’d eat fried dough out of a paper bag, heavy with sugar. There was an orchard near us too, with cider donuts and fruit streusels.
In July I buy peaches by the flat, and most of them go into crisps and cobblers or a simple butter cake. This one started with a craving for a donut, and a fritter felt like a much easier way to get there. The batter is a loose one, sourdough discard and barely enough flour to hold all the fruit, and they fry in small heaps in a few minutes until deep golden and craggy at the edges. I glaze them while they’re still warm.
In the recipe below I’ve shared a simple glaze, and a few ways to flavor it. I had some beautiful peach leaves on hand, so that’s what went into mine.
Variations
Peach Leaf Glaze. Warm ½ cup cream until steaming, add 4–6 peach leaves, cover and steep for 30 minutes, then strain and use in place of the cream.
Fig Leaf Glaze. Toast 2–3 fig leaves at 250°F until fragrant, a few minutes. Warm ½ cup cream until steaming, add the leaves, cover and steep for 30 minutes, then strain and use in place of the cream.
Cinnamon Honey Glaze. Whisk 3 tablespoons honey, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt into the sugar along with the cream.
Vanilla Bean Glaze. Scrape the seeds of half a vanilla bean into the sugar.
Print
Sourdough Peach Fritters
Ingredients
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
3 tbsp (38g) granulated sugar, divided
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 large egg, at room temperature
½ cup (120g) sourdough discard
½ cup (120g) whole milk
¼ cup (60g) heavy cream
2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3–4 ripe peaches (about 3 cups / 400g diced)
Avocado oil, for frying
Simple Glaze
1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
3–4 tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
- Toss the peaches with 1 tbsp sugar and let them sit for 15–20 minutes, then drain.
- Whisk the flour, 2 tbsp sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg with the discard, milk, cream and melted butter.
- Heat 2 inches of avocado oil in a heavy pot to 350°F (175°C).
- While the oil heats, pour the wet into the dry and stir just until combined, then fold in the peaches.
- Drop in heaping ¼-cup portions, three or four at a time so the oil stays hot, pressing each one down a little. Fry 2–3 minutes a side, until deep golden and cooked through.
- Move to a wire rack and let the oil come back to 350°F between batches.
For the Glaze
- Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a small bowl. Add the cream a tablespoon at a time and stir until smooth, until the glaze falls from the spoon in a thick ribbon.
- Glaze the fritters while they’re still warm and eat them soon after.
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